Hoosier caviar: 6 things you need to know about the homegrown delicacy

The American paddlefish has long been sought for its tasty flesh and roe, or eggs. Overfishing a century ago hurt the species, however, and it now faces new threats.
Dwight Adams, dwight.adams@indystar.com

A small-but-lucrative artisanal industry.

Since the late 1980s, Indiana has been a big player in the growing domestic caviar industry.

It’s based on the Ohio River, where commercial fishermen licensed by the Department of Natural Resources harvest eggs from American paddlefish, a prehistoric behemoth related to the sturgeon. Small amounts of caviar also come from hackleback and shovelnose sturgeon, but those fish are much smaller and account for only a fraction of the total.

Since 1999, when the state started tracking the paddlefish catch, Indiana fishermen have harvested more than 46 tons of caviar during fishing seasons that run from Nov. 1-April 30.

With a wholesale price of about $120 a pound, that haul equates to more than $11 million. Retail, where a half-ounce sells for $12 to $15, the value skyrockets to nearly $40 million.

What's a paddlefish, and why the big nose?

The American Paddlefish, the oldest surviving animal species in North America, hails from the same family as the sturgeon. Polyodon spathula are native to the Mississippi River basin and can be found in rivers and lakes in more than 20 states. That habitat includes the Ohio and Wabash rivers.

The oldest fossils records of paddlefish date back about 400 million years — long before the age of dinosaurs.

With lifespans of more than 20 years, the prehistoric fish with a prominent paddle-shaped snout can grow to 10 feet in length and weigh as much as 200 pounds. The protruding proboscis that gives the paddlefish its name is called a rostrum. It can account for up to one-third of a fish’s length. The rostrum is a sensory organ used to help locate food. It is not a tool for digging in the river bottom.

Filter feeders, paddlefish eat by swimming with open mouths that allow “gill rakers” to capture plankton, microscopic plants and animals.

Paddlefish are sometimes called spoonbill catfish or just spoonbills. But they aren’t catfish. The confusion may be because they have a smooth skin, like catfish, rather than scales. In some ways they are like sharks, too. Their skeletons are mostly cartilage, which makes the boneless meat desirable. It often is sold smoked.

Roe "harvested" from mature, female paddlefish is used to make an increasingly popular form of caviar. A single fish can produce 600,000 eggs, which translates to about 10 pounds of caviar.(Photo: The Enquirer/Cara Owsley)

Is the caviar any good?

Like all caviar, it’s an acquired taste.

Renowned chef Wolfgang Puck has been quoted calling it “the Chevrolet of caviar,” a sort of backhanded compliment. The online retailer caviar.us, which sells half-ounce jars for $13 plus shipping, is more enthusiastic.

"Paddlefish caviar (or Spoonbill caviar) is in no way inferior to the familiar to us kinds of black caviar," the website says. "It has a nice tender flavor identical to the well-known delicacy."

For what it’s worth, several current and former fishermen — the Hoosiers who make a living cutting the eggs from the bellies of fish — said they have no desire to try the stuff.

Paddlefish eggs are gently worked through mesh "screens" to separate the mass before they are cured with salt to make caviar.(Photo: The Enquirer/Cara Owsley)

How are eggs made into caviar?

Transforming fresh paddlefish roe into hoity-toity caviar is relatively simple. But to sell it commercially, the work must be done in a facility approved and inspected by the Food and Drug Administration.

The process starts with the “harvest,” which requires killing the fish to remove the eggs. A large, mature female can produce 600,000 eggs weighing as much as 10 pounds.

The next step is to remove the roe from the skein, a fatty membrane that binds the eggs together. Eggs are then worked through a fine mesh or “screen” to separate the tightly packed mass. Damaged eggs and other tissue and fat are removed as the eggs go through several gentle rinses.

Finally, the eggs are cured briefly using a non-iodized salt, rinsed again and packaged. This final step is where processors add personal tweaks to make their caviar unique. The finished caviar can be sold fresh or frozen for a longer shelf-life.

David Cox of English, Ind., one of Indiana's most prolific commercial fishermen and caviar producers, was sentenced to two years in prison in November for fishing and firearms violations.(Photo: Provided)

The caviar harvest is dropping

The number of caviar fishermen and roe-buyers licensed by the state has been dropping – along with the roe harvest – since the industry’s peak in 2007. A record catch of 10,420 pounds of roe was reported in 2006 and fishermen hauled in another five tons in 2007. The annual total dropped to 773 pounds in 2013 and 533 in 2017.

Indiana first licensed commercial fishing on the Ohio River in 1988, following the resolution of a border dispute with Kentucky. In 1989, the DNR issued 118 commercial licenses. The number fell to 63 in 1990 and to 15 in 2015. Paddlefish are the big attraction, but commercial fishermen also catch buffalo (from the sucker family) and catfish (blue, channel and flathead). Thousands of pounds a year.

In 2012, the DNR required additional licenses for paddlefish: one for roe harvesters, the other for roe buyers. A person could hold one or both. Fifteen harvester licenses were issued in 2010. Just two in 2018. The number of roe dealers went from four in 2012 to only one last year.

Fishermen and DNR officials cite several factors for the decline. Some fishermen are getting old and retiring. Roe prices have dropped due to growing competition from farm-raised paddlefish. And some believe the population of adult females — it takes about 10 years to produce eggs — is declining. Plus, it’s really hard and dangerous work. The river in the winter and early spring is a cold, daunting place.

The situation may not be as bleak as it looks on paper. The bulk of caviar taken from the Ohio River is caught by fishermen licensed in Kentucky. That includes Hoosiers with non-resident licenses. The DNR said Kentucky licenses most of the roe harvesters and they account for most of the haul. The Kentucky Department of Fish & Wildlife didn’t have annual roe harvest totals.

Paddlefish "snagging" is illegal in Indiana, but allowed in some other states. The process involves casting a large treble hook and heavy weight to snag the fish.(Photo: Bob Linder / file photo)

Can I catch a paddlefish and make caviar?

Not in Indiana.

You can’t catch paddlefish with a sport (personal) fishing license. And they are filter feeders, so they don’t “bite” like other fish.

Indiana used to allow sport fishermen to “snag” paddlefish, but they could only keep two. The process involved casting a line with a big treble hook and heavy weight into the water, then jerking it back toward you in hopes of snagging a big fish.

You can probably try to make your own caviar if you find a roe buyer willing to sell you fresh, raw eggs.

Contact Tim Evans at 317-444-6204 or tim.evans@indystar.com. Follow him on Twitter: @starwatchtim